HER2 Support Group Forums - View Single Post - Tykerb, Herceptin combo instead of Navelbine?

Chelee · 10-29-2009, 07:42 PM

Shelia, After hearing the nightmare you went thur I'm anxious to see what happens now too? My onc might of suggested Navelbine first because it's cheaper & easier to get a OK...especially since I'm an HMO patient? I called the case manager today to let her know I'm not happy with the way my onc is ignoring me. I said instead of the Navy beans I wanted to go ahead and add Tykerb to my Herceptin. I told her this way I could get started on something & still be able to have surgery as far as I know. (I see you mentioned that point also.)

The case manager is going to call my onc & tell her I rather start on the Tykerb/Herceptin...but lets see what happens once my onc finds out? I have Anthem BC HMO...so we will see? Why does my onc and the City of Hope onc both say if I don't add a chemo drug with those it's not going to work?

Chelee

10-29-2009, 07:42 PM	#3
Chelee Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Southern, CA Posts: 2,511	Re: Tykerb, Herceptin combo instead of Navelbine? Shelia, After hearing the nightmare you went thur I'm anxious to see what happens now too? My onc might of suggested Navelbine first because it's cheaper & easier to get a OK...especially since I'm an HMO patient? I called the case manager today to let her know I'm not happy with the way my onc is ignoring me. I said instead of the Navy beans I wanted to go ahead and add Tykerb to my Herceptin. I told her this way I could get started on something & still be able to have surgery as far as I know. (I see you mentioned that point also.) The case manager is going to call my onc & tell her I rather start on the Tykerb/Herceptin...but lets see what happens once my onc finds out? I have Anthem BC HMO...so we will see? Why does my onc and the City of Hope onc both say if I don't add a chemo drug with those it's not going to work? Chelee __________________ DX: 12-20-05 - Stage IIIA, Her2/Neu, 3+++,Er & Pr weakly positive, 5 of 16 pos nodes. Rt. MRM on 1-3-06 -- No Rads due to compromised lungs. Chemo started 2-7-06 -- TCH - - Finished 6-12-06 Finished yr of wkly herceptin 3-19-07 3-15-07 Lt side prophylactic simple mastectomy. -- Ooph 4-05-07 9-21-09 PET/CT "Recurrence" to Rt. axllia, Rt. femur, ilium. Possible Sacrum & liver? Now stage IV. 9-28-09 Loading dose of Herceptin & started Zometa 9-29-09 Power Port Placement 10-24-09 Mass 6.4 x 4.7 cm on Rt. femur head. 11-19-09 RT. Femur surgery - Rod placed 12-7-09 Navelbine added to Herceptin/Zometa. 3-23-10 Ten days of rads to RT femur. Completed. 4-05-10 Quit Navelbine--Herceptin/Zometa alone. 5-4-10 Appt. with Dr. Slamon to see what is next? Waiting on FISH results from femur biopsy. Results to FISH was unsuccessful--this happens less then 2% of the time. 7-7-10 Recurrence to RT axilla again. Back to UCLA for options.